Did you know that when it comes to communication, three types of leaders exist?

Leaders who can talk or write about anything to anyone to make things happen. But bottom line? They don’t care about the organization or anyone in it. They care about looking good.

Leaders who care passionately about making a difference but don’t know how to capture attention or inspire people to take action.

Leaders who care passionately and have the communication skills—or are willing to acquire them—to establish credibility and command attention to make things happen.

If you’re reading this blog, my guess is that you fall into the third category.

Welcome to the first post of Communicate with Moxie—the blog. I chose this name because the best leaders are those who possess fortitude and determination, spirit and courage. They care about people, and they care about making a difference. I believe the best leaders are those who are willing to learn and apply innovative communication techniques to capture attention, challenge the status quo, and get results.

My commitment is to provide you with quick, easy access to research, tips, and tools about how to:

Build your confidence and credibility.

Acquire gender intelligence, what I call GQ, so that you are not shut down or discounted.

Understand different communication styles to leverage the differences to build strong teams.

Unlock your creativity with quotes, stories, games, and metaphors to spice up presentations and meetings and to gain commitment, buy-in, and action from direct reports, peers, senior leadership, and customers.

Reduce your own stress and respond creatively when others botch their communications with you.

Oh, and another thing? True leadership is not a title. It’s a state of mind. I am writing Communicate with Moxie for anyone who chooses to take the lead and make a difference.

Moxie. Although Apple may not have used the term in this old ad, the essence of leadership moxie is exactly what they captured by stating: The ones who see things differently . . . They change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

I invite you to subscribe, send me your comments and ideas, and share with your colleagues. Most of all, I hope to provide you with innovative communication resources for you to use on your own leadership journey.